Time Unraveled
by MaaraTheDark
Summary: Pansy and Hermione tumble into a maelstrom of time and it's all due to Pansy's new jewelry piece. Femslash
1. Chapter 1

Title: Time Unraveled

Pairing: Hermione/Pansy

A/N Please note that this is my first time writing fan fiction so be gentle. Reviews are greatly appreciated of course. This is mostly for fun and a little for skill development.

Chapter 1

Pansy waited ever so patiently for the sound of her mother's footsteps to fall silent. Would she never disapparate? As she waited she thought about what she was going to get up to tonight. There were so many places she wanted to go. After all, she had been stowed away inside the Parkinson manor for a solid month now. Her mother told her it was for her own good; that to be out in Wizarding Society after the war ended was to be putting herself in decidedly unforgiving and dangerous company. The thought made her throat tighten and gave her momentary pause. Should she really be doing this?

While pacing back and forth in her room, a normal occurrence now that she'd become a ward of her parents, she became aware of a sudden stillness. She was alone in the house at last. Her feverish need for freedom came rushing back and brought a slight blush to her normally ashen features. She threw open her door and ran down to the study. Behind her father's desk was a seemingly humdrum bookshelf. Pansy stared it down with bold intention and whispered the incantation she carefully overheard her father use so many times, "Aperire occultis meis".

The bookshelf opened wide and she slipped in, a little too eager as she tripped over something in the dark study. "Bloody hell", Pansy said as she pulled out her wand for some light.

"Lumos"

As soon as she spoke her eyes caught sight of what she came for. It shone in the light brilliantly and she knew then it was worth the trouble. There, at the back of her father's not so secret room, was the most magnificent piece of jewelry she'd ever laid eyes on, a Time-Turner. Sure there was a crack running down the hourglass but Pansy felt it made it all the more appealing. Her father was an Unspeakable who she knew worked in the Time Room. After the Battle in the Department of Mysteries all the Time-Turners had been destroyed beyond recognition save this one, which he furtively brought home late one evening.

Pansy was not an idiot; she didn't plan to use a broken Time-Turner. Who knows when she'd end up. She only wanted it as an alluring and, perhaps more importantly, distracting accessory for tonight's fun. Maybe if people were not focused so much on Pansy and her past indiscretions and more on the piece of jewelry around her neck, she might be able to have a fairly hassle free night.

She slipped the turner around her neck, adjusting it so that it fit with her sleek black and white ensemble. Poised in front of the mirror, she couldn't help but admire the artifact as it lay on her chest. It made the outfit; there was no doubt of that. Suddenly filled with pride and confidence, she disapparated before she could change her mind.

* * *

When she landed in Knockturn Alley, she lurched unceremoniously forward and slammed into a grimy brick wall. Pain radiated through her shoulder and down her spine. "Bloody fucking hell!" she shrieked before she could stop herself. Her face paled and her body stiffened as she recalled where she was and the precarious position she had put herself in. Pansy glanced about expecting a dingy wizard or two to be eyeing her up and down, but mercifully there was none.

At first relieved by her aloneness, it soon became evident that Knockturn Alley was not what it once was and her stomach turned. The shops were completely empty, with broken windows and angry words etched in wood and stone. Those who fought opposite Voldermort apparently took out their rage on the places they deemed to be in favor of him. She picked this place because she thought it would be the safest choice, out of sight and filled with those who were either indifferent to, or sided with her. Pansy's eyes burned and she felt small.

There was no way she was going back now. She did not care if she was hexed into oblivion. She realized being away from the manor made her feel alive again. For the past month she felt like she was suspended in amber, waiting for the world to start turning again, even if that meant it would be spinning out of her control. When she was finished contemplating the wreckage, Pansy marched herself out to Diagon Alley with her head held high.

Not much had changed since she had last been here. The comfort of that thought calmed her nerves and allowed her to finally exhale. As she visited several shops in the area, namely Twilfitt and Tatting's for some new apparel, Pansy kept her eyes glued to the floor or the objects she purchased. Even with this precaution, at one point she felt someone's hardened gaze upon her and without investigating further, left the shop abruptly.

There was one last store she wanted to visit before apparating to her favorite wizarding club. As she entered Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, she felt a surge of calm tranquility flood her. She would never admit it out loud, but the Weasley's shop was one of her favorite places to be. Laughter echoed off the walls, and sounds and smells of all varieties blitzed her senses in a way that pleased her. It wasn't just the atmosphere she came for today however, she was in desperate need of something to keep preoccupied at home. After all, there was no way of knowing when she would get another opportunity like tonight.

At the back of the store, in a section meant for premium items, Pansy located the Patented Daydream Charms. She had tried one only once before and it transported her for a brief time to a tropical island paradise, without the torturous mosquitoes and humidity. While reminiscing about how the hot sand felt between her toes, her sense of joyful ease dissipated. There was someone standing behind her, within mere inches of her back. The hairs on her neck prickled as she prepared for the inevitable confrontation of whoever was waiting to engage her. Pansy spun around with as much courage as she could muster, and came face to face with the last person she was hoping to see: the Know-it-all Mudblood Hermione Granger.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Pansy's head clouded and the quickened pace of the pulse in her neck distracted her. Briefly, she felt a strange detachment and with it, a faint curiosity. The surreal moment of staring straight into Granger's wrathful eyes settled upon her like a dense fog. As quickly as the moment came it was gone when Hermione's knuckles came crashing into Pansy's full lips.

"What are you doing here!" Hermione screamed at Pansy's now prone form.

She was shaking with anger and the edges of her eyes glimmered in the low light. What nerve Pansy had to show her face here of all places. Since the war ended the shop had become a memorial of sorts to Fred Weasley, whose life was cut short by pureblood zealots just like Pansy. To have her brazenly strolling about the store as if she belonged there felt like a desecration of his memory.

The commotion drew a crowd staggeringly fast. After Pansy recovered enough to open her eyes she saw at least fifteen people flooding into the cramped aisles nearby. She thought ruefully about how right her mom had been to keep her locked up. This was a complete disaster. Her next move had to be to find a way back home. _Sod the club_.

Hermione was swaying slightly from side to side. Pansy made mental note of how closely she resembled a lion circling it's prey. Especially with that unkempt hair of hers. It even appeared to become more disheveled the angrier grew, a living extension of Hermione herself. Pansy crept to a standing position slowly and methodically, so as not to provoke the beast.

It was becoming more and more difficult for Hermione to hold back the tears. Pansy's visage, her piercing emerald eyes, brought a wave of memories cascading down on her. All of the times Pansy had called her a mudblood, her bullying of the helpless first years, and worst of all the moment she called upon Hogwarts students to send Harry to his demise. She watched those green eyes dart about looking for an exit. She had no intention of letting the wretched girl escape justice this time.

A steady trickle of blood flowed down the corner Pansy's mouth. _This is so embarrassing_. Just as she started to despair her peripheral vision caught sight of an opening down one of the aisles. Apparently it didn't make for the best view. Without hesitation she made a break for it.

As Pansy sprinted past some Pygmy Puffs she heard a loud crash behind her. She turned her head to see Hermione running after her and knocking down a bin Extendable Ears. _Bloody hell the beast is chasing me_! Her chest was heaving by the time she exited the front door. She planned to disapparate as soon as she got outside.

Hermione was gaining on Pansy quickly, the rage pumping adrenaline into her muscles. When they both reached the street she lunged and grabbed hold of Pansy's jet black hair. Hermione fought to inflict pain while Pansy wriggled away as best she could to avoid it. It was during this rather unseemly tussle that Hermione unwittingly slipped her hand through the loop of the damaged Time Turner.

Pansy was growing increasingly panicked. Hermione's logic and clear-headedness were smothered by her anger and pain. Thinking only of escape, Pansy made the fateful decision to disapparate at this inconvenient moment. And with a thundering crack, they were gone.

* * *

**A/N** I can be very good about updating especially when I get some encouragement :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

There was a distinct pop in Hermione's ears as well as the sensation of being squeezed from all directions. She immediately recognized the familiar discomfort associated with apparating and gripped Pansy's arm with a fervor only fear brings. As much as she loathed the thought of following the Slytherin to some unknown locale, she knew the consequence of extricating herself would be getting spliced.

The pair landed on a patch of soft dewy grass with a surprisingly quiet thud. Pansy writhed in pain radiating from multiple injuries, the most critical being her left bicep. Try as she might she could not help letting a soft whimper escape her lips. Not wanting to be caught off guard, wherever they may have landed, Hermione hopped up and took in her surroundings.

Towering pines enveloped them from all sides save one. About ten yards away there was a massive iron gate, and beyond that her vision was obscured by an elegant, twisted oak. Hermione pulled out her wand and glanced down at Pansy, who was still pitifully curled up on the grass. Since the girl was no threat at the moment, she decided to go investigate what was hidden behind the oak tree.

When she walked up to the gate she placed her hands on the heavy metal bars. Her eyes widened with awe. Behind the big oak was one of the most striking mansions she had ever seen. _Not that I've seen that many_, she thought with a tinge of jealous resentment. A wide dirt pathway led up to eight impressive stone pillars supporting the entryway alone. She looked back at Pansy who was just now beginning to stand. _No wonder she is such a spoiled brat._

Pansy was finally upright and in control. She caught sight of Hermione watching her guardedly, one hand still wrapped around a gate bar. For a brief second Pansy had a fleeting notion that Hermione had waited to meet her here in a kind of illicit rendezvous. The thought left her mind as soon as her arm throbbed in pain, reminding her how they got here. She debated mentally whether or not she should disapparate again to someplace, anyplace else, leaving Hermione behind. _I might as well get this over with_. If she was going to have to fight eventually, which it seemed she was, she wanted it to be near her home where she felt safest.

"Ok you fucking nutter here I am!" Pansy shouted as she marched towards her enemy.

Hermione's fury, which had waned a bit since they landed, threatened to come back full force. "Me? The nutter!" she cried out quizzically. "You were the one that came into Fred's shop, after _everything_ that has happened just like you bleeding owned the place! What did you think? We would break out the bubbly in celebration of your return?"

Pansy hardly heard a word she had said. Her heart was banging in her chest as she readied herself for another fight and yanked out her wand.

"Expelliarmus!" Pansy's spell sent Hermione's wand sailing off into some nearby shrubbery.

The Gryffindor's mouth dropped open at the shock of being caught off guard. It would make it more difficult to teach Pansy a lesson unarmed, but she was fairly confident she could do it. She shifted along the gate and made furtive glances at the ground for an object to throw. While she was planning her next move she noticed a swift change in the other girl's disposition. Pansy's face turned a sickly yellow shade and she froze, her wand now pointed at the dirt in front of her. Hermione realized she was staring at something behind her, past the gate. When she turned around to see what was so interesting the last thing she expected to see was another Pansy, jogging up the steps of the mansion's entryway.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Pansy felt as if someone had just punched her in the gut. The air in her lungs evacuated and she felt like she was sinking. Instinctively her right hand grasped at the culprit; the Time-Turner around her neck. Some part of her remembered Hermione was still there but all she could do was stare, mouth agape, at another version of herself. _This cannot be real!_ She hoped desperately Hermione had knocked her out with that right hook and she was dreaming.

Pansy recognized the doppelganger to be herself from five hours earlier. There she was, running up and down the entryway stairs, trying to make herself appear as pitifully bored as possible for the benefit of her parents. _Look at that, I even remember pretending to yawn just then_. As horrifying as this was for Pansy she couldn't help being fascinated.

Hermione did a double take. Pansy at the stairs. Pansy behind her, wand in hand. Then back to Pansy on the stairs. _How is this possible?_ The only time Hermione recalled this happening was when she had a Time-Turner back in her fourth year at Hogwarts.

"That's not possible" Hermione thought aloud. She turned around to Pansy looking for an explanation. Before she could ask her eyes settled on the firm grasp the girl had on her necklace pendant.

"Is that a Time-Turner?" she asked incredulously. Pansy only nodded as she continued to watch her former self. "But how is that even possible? Those were all destroyed back when...back when we fought You-Know-Who at the Department of Mysteries." Hermione's question sounded more like a statement.

"My fa...I know someone who is an Unspeakable and they gave it to me." Pansy answered, still appearing to lack investment in the conversation.

"That doesn't answer my question." came Hermione's impatient reply. "They were all destroyed. So I'll ask again. How is it...that you have...a working Time-Turner?" She enunciated her words as if speaking to the elderly.

At this, Pansy looked her straight in the eye to answer. "It's NOT a working Time-Turner. It's broken." Her voice started to break as she spoke. To clarify, she removed her hand from the hour glass piece to reveal the crack running down it's length. Having never used a Time-Turner before she was becoming a bit hysterical at the thought of being at the mercy of a broken one.

Hermione was well versed in using the item and instead of being terrified as Pansy was, she was extremely annoyed. She knew all they needed to do was wait out however many hours back in time they went. That would be that. The irritation swung her temper back into the red zone.

"You know you're thick right? Wearing a broken Time-Turner! What were you thinking? Now I'm going to have to keep a low profile for who knows how long, waiting to catch up to the present!" Hermione yelled as she stormed towards the other girl. "This probably happened because you decided to apparate. Take that thing off now!" As she spoke she reached out for the necklace.

Pansy pushed her away like a petulant child. "I've got it! Ok!" she said as she began to remove the necklace carefully.

It wasn't fast enough for Hermione, who was growing ever more impatient with the whole situation. She said exasperated, "God! Here I'll do it" and she began to tug on the chain.

"Stop! You're gonna break it!" Pansy shouted as she struggled to keep the Turner to herself.

"It's already broken you twit!" Hermione replied, wrenching one of Pansy's fingers from the necklace.

The row between them was nearing an all out brawl. "Ugh. Sod off! Mudlblood." Pansy barked. The slur triggered a violent reaction from Hermione and in the commotion they fell back to the ground. Pansy's slight figure lay pinned underneath Hermione. For a short time they wrestled until Pansy eventually grew slack. Hermione restrained the girl's hands above her head and waited for something to happen.

_Now that I've got her here what do I do with her?_ Hermione felt strangely at a loss. She noticed Pansy wasn't looking at her anymore but had her head turned away. _She thinks I'm a revolting mudblood_. Although she knew she wasn't supposed to feel slighted by the word; it was their problem not hers, she still did. Every time it was uttered it cut her deeply and she did her best not to let it show. Part of her was afraid the reason it hurt her was because she held some of those same notions of magical superiority in the recesses of her own mind.

When Hermione gathered her thoughts again she decided it best to carry through with her original plan. To punish the pureblood bigot. She raised her right fist and aimed. Before she could exact justice she noticed something move to her right. When she turned her head to see what it was she cried out in shock. The world was a blur. Leaves fell skyward and birds flew backwards. They were drifting further back in time.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It felt as though they were caught in the eye of a tornado. Between the two of them, the air was deathly still, while around them objects twirled in a frenzy of reverse motion. More frenzied than usual Hermione noticed. Her chest felt heavy and her head light. _This is not normal_.

She felt the girl beneath her begin to struggle and released her hands. Pansy, at last coming out of her reverie, ripped the Turner from her neck and threw it as far from them as possible. The whirlwind came to an instant standstill and the two girls rose from the ground. They looked about, scanning the area for any sign of exactly how much time had regressed. The woods however, appeared completely undisturbed. A small brown squirrel scooted up the trunk of a tree, stopping to look at them as if to say, _what's your problem?_

_What a fool._ Hermione chided herself for getting into another physical altercation with someone wearing a broken Time-Turner. A true believer in the fool-me-twice-shame-on-me rule she decided not to blame Pansy entirely for this one. She again walked towards the comely gate, a vague tension spreading through her body. What might she see this time?

Pansy watched Hermione approach the manor again and felt, for the first time, grateful for her Gryffindor courage. The woods enveloping her home had been untouched for as long as she could remember. There was no telling how far back they had gone, and she didn't want to be the first to find out either. The sight of her double earlier had already shaken her to her core. So there she stood, still and barely breathing, waiting for Hermione to take control like she knew she would.

"What are you standing over there for?" Hermione goaded, "This is your house, I can't tell how far we went." The irritation in her voice was starting to fade. There wasn't much point in bickering when there were far more important things to expend her energy on. She waved Pansy over, who reluctantly walked to her, scuffling her shoes through the grass.

Pansy looked at her house intently. Every nook and cranny of the stone facade was a clue to be processed. Her heart pounded in her chest as she anticipated the moment of clarity that would come eventually. No one was outside. The sun was starting to set, and it cast the manor in an eerie glow. A light was on in an upper bedroom window, her parents'. She stared the window down, daring something to reveal itself. When it finally did, she just about fainted.

"Oh my god!" Pansy exhaled as she turned her back to the gate and slid down it. Tears welled up in her eyes and she hugged her knees to her chest.

"What? What is it?" Hermione asked uneasily. "Just tell me. Please...how far back have we gone?" She sat down next to Pansy and looked at her expectantly. It was going to be bad news, that was obvious.

Pansy began quietly, as though it were secret, "I saw my father upstairs. He...he looks younger. He has a full beard. I remember it from when…from just before I went to Hogwarts!" She finished loudly with a sob. She covered her face with her hands.

Hermione was in complete shock. _This is unheard of!_ Part of her did not believe it. After all, it was unprecedented that a Time-Turner could take a wizard so far into the past. A few hours, a day at most was all she had read about.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked with grave seriousness "Could you maybe have mistaken a shadow for a beard? Or maybe it wasn't him? That could be possibility right?"

Pansy lifted her head up and looked fixedly at Hermione with her striking emerald eyes. There was no relief in them, they were determined. Hermione shook her head and looked at the ground as her eyes started to water as well. How were they ever to get out of this?

They sat in silence for a short while, their minds reeling. Pansy thought about her friends and the future she had planned with Draco. There were times when she felt trapped, but right now that life seemed like distant paradise. It's funny how things are never so coveted as when people feel they are out of reach. _I miss him already. I even wish I could hear him going on and on about how his career in the Ministry will outshine all those who came before him. Always trying to move out from his father's shadow_. In all her musings she never once thought of her own family.

Hermione's keen mind was trying desperately to stay focused on one thing: a solution. Images of Ron, Harry, her parents, and even Ginny flashed in front of her diligent strategizing, but she didn't let them distract her for too long. She was used to this kind of pressure by now.

First thing on the agenda was survival without detection. Hermione felt calmer now that she had a tangible goal to grab hold of. _If we are ever to make it back to our time we need to make sure we leave as little impression on this time as possible._ Yet, they still had basic needs like eating and sleeping.

"Think we can get into your house without being noticed?" Hermione asked, startling Pansy who was lost deep in thought.

"Um...yeah I think so. Why?" Pansy responded with innate suspicion.

"Well I don't know about you but it's almost dark out, and I don't fancy sleeping out here in the woods." At this Hermione stood up and looked with purpose towards the Parkinson manor.

Pansy stood up as well. She hated to admit it but Hermione's intrepid resilience was contagious. "We could sneak in through the side door by the kitchen." she said determinedly. "Alexander, the servant, should be gone by now and me and my parents would probably be up in our bedrooms." She thought she saw Hermione roll her eyes a bit at the mention of a servant, but decided to let it go. "There is a guest room on the first level that...that we could stay in I suppose." Pansy shifted uncomfortably after she spoke.

Hermione cut through the awkward silence, "That will do for tonight. Tomorrow we will have to find better accommodations and get started on figuring out how to get back."

Her authoritative tone was comforting to Pansy who still felt as though her life was basically over. _Well if anyone could figure out how to fix this it would be her_. The idea of them sneaking into her own house and staying the night in the same room flustered her. It was almost more foreign a situation than being catapulted eight years back in time. And yet, Pansy was stunned to find a feeling akin to excitement burning in her.

"Well let's get a move on then." Pansy stated matter-of-factly and began to walk along the gate. They followed the sturdy iron bars towards the front of the manor where the main entrance doors stood unlocked, and slipped past. After walking a short distance up the dirt path, Pansy felt exposed to the upper floor windows and darted behind a neatly trimmed hedge. Hermione was close behind, begrudgingly trusting the Slytherin to get them in unseen.

They crouched along the circumference of the mansion, stopping every so often to scan for unwelcome witnesses. When they came to the kitchen door Pansy put her ear on it, listening for the shuffling of Alexander. It was silent. "Alohomora" Pansy quietly unlocked the door, gave Hermione a look resembling camaraderie, and walked in. Hermione was right at her back, tiptoeing into the kitchen. Soundlessly, she closed the door behind them.


End file.
